skida, svärd, shotel

Exceptionally long-bladed, Ethiopian swords were used especially among the infantry and they were designed for slashing rather than thrusting. The sword, worn on the right hip, denotes the warrior's prowess in battle as well as of his wealth, rank and status.
Swords of this type were named Shotel. The large hilt made of polished rhinoceros horn, of ovoid cross section, is flaring out on either side of the grip embellished with a lozenge brass button. The double-edged blade, frequently between three and four feet long, is forged in the form of an enormous sickle and is slightly broader at the hilt than at the tip to increase its striking power. Its particular function seems to have been to circumvent the guard provided by the large, round shields carried by almost every Ethiopian warrior. It was worn with a belt attached to a sheath made of red leather (the sheath may be coated in velvet or decorative metal of wire bands and it is often tipped with a metal sphere the size of a billiard ball). This sheath was decorated of …
Characteristic of the more southerly of the ancient orthodox Christian states such as Shawa., It continued to be manufactured, well into the twentieth century and may be seen in many Ethiopian religious and secular paintings.

Svärd med skida och gehäng av läder. Klingan av järn, med vass egg åt båda hållen, två skåror längs med det böjda bladet. Handtaget av trä med mässingsplatta upptill med utsirade geometriska figurer. Skidan av läder, liakså gehänget som fästes med ett ordinärt järnspänne.
Längd: 76 cm, Bredd: 18 + 67 cm, Tjocklek: 3,5 cm.
Ursprung: Mercato, Addis Ababa, Etiopien
Etnisk grupp: Somali

Sword with Sheath and sword-belt. Blade of iron, with sharp edges in both directions, two notches along the bent blade. Hilt in wood with brass plateat the top, decorated with engraved geometric figures. Sheath in leather, as well as the sword-belt which is fixed with an ordinary iron buckle.
Length: 76 cm, Width: 18 + 67 cm, Thickness: 3,5 cm.
Origin: Mercato, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Ethnic group: Somali (utställningstext Horisonter - röster från ett globalt Afrika)